This is a minimalist backpacking list for anyone going to the warmer parts of the developing world. This is my personal list, created and refined over six months of backpacking around India in 2011. It is amazing how little you need when you wash your clothes in the sink and try not to sleep outside.
Solo Minimalist Backpacking list
(warm weather)
7kg/15lbs or less – ideal pack weight
Backpack/duffel:
1 month – 40cu in
1+ months -50+cu in
*Not wider than 12″ in one dimension (so it can fit between/under the often absurdly narrow bus seats)
*The bigger the bag, the more annoying it is on every bus and train. I promise.
*You will want to leave around a third of your bag empty for things you pick up along the way
*cold weather – add 10cu in
Clothes (including those worn):
3 t-shirts/polos (synthetic)
3 pairs underwear (synthetic)
3 pairs socks (synthetic)
2 pants (I bring 1 pair of jeans and one pair of dark khakis)
1 shorts (light athletic; for sleeping/swimming)
1 fleece (for cold mornings, night trains, or just a pillow)
1 Sandals
1 Shoes (only if you are like me and don’t like sandals)
*synthetic shirts/underwear/socks for ease of washing-wrinkles and stretching-but also for comfort during the day and quick-drying
*to me, jeans are worth the weight and heat; they help you fit in a lot, are the most durable, can get dirty without really noticing, and you can just get a hotel to wash them once every week or two
*with clothes, especially pants, darker colors are usually better, but not essential. Just don’t bring anything white – it gets dirty instantly.
*coldweather, add: lightwieght pjs, long underwear, hats, fleeces, scarves
Gear:
1 small lightweight bag (for day trips)
1 sleeping bag liner (for the gross bed)
1 hankercheif (for the gross pillow)
1 pack towel (hotels rarely give you towels)
*coldweather, add: lightweight fleece blanket for train rides and hostels
Tech:
iPod/chargers
Camera (preferably small and pocketable)
Flash Drives (for backing up important documents, music in case you need to replace your ipod, and photos along the way)
Power Converters
Notebook/pens/books
Guidebook
Toiletries/deodorant/clothes soap/medicine/toilet paper
Small lock and cable
*most toiletries/soaps/toilet paper are easy to buy while traveling, however deodorant and medicine is something you might want to bring from home for comfort and quality control.
Personal:
Money Belt (preferably not a neck pouch; to keep your passport/visa, ID, ATM card, train/plane tickets, and extra cash)
Cheap Wallet with nothing but small amount of spending money (for pickpockets)
Phone
Passport
ID Card
ATM Card
Important Documentation (keep email, flash drive, and physical copies; multiple copies of passport/visa, ID, ATM card + card’s international phone number, vaccination records)
Optional:
Business cards (super useful, but be careful who you give them out to)
Sunblock (useful at times, but annoying when you are already sweaty and dirty)
Pocket Knife (unless you are going via plane)
Earplugs/eye cover thingy (if you are a light sleeper)
Mosquito net (most places have ceiling fans that, when coupled with a sheet, keep you pretty safe without a net)
Small flashlight/headlamp
Water filter and bottle
1 Book (trade it as you go)
If with friend: mini chess, cards, cribbage
Other things to consider:
Clean Water: While bringing a water bottle and filter/iodine around is certainly the best, cheapest, and greenest option, there are a few problems with it. Mostly, the water is often gross to begin with. Either it is a slightly questionable color, or it smells quite bad (sulfur is often the culprit), or it is packed with all kinds of hard metals and chemicals that you don’t want in your body, and most filters do not deal with any of this. It pains me to say it, but I ended up buying a lot of bottled water while traveling even though I had a filter with me. And although lots of the water bottled there has lots of chemicals and other crap in it, at least it was clean, cold, smelled good, and I never got sick from it.
Rain: Know what season it is when you travel to Asia. In most places, it is either going to rain all the time or you will never have to worry about it. In India, don’t even bother with rain gear from December to May, but from June to November, you better be ready.
International Smartphone: This will completely change the dynamic of the trip. It is a bit of a liability to carry around with you, but it will ensure that you are rarely lost and always connected, for better or for worse. I personally don’t like backpacking with them – you miss out on too much.
Guidebooks: I tried out both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide while in India, and I liked both. Lonely Planet tended to be a little less romantic, but more content (it often includes minor sites) and more realastic about things (how nice/crowded things are). Rough Guide tended to have a bit less content and accuracy but more vivid and nice descriptions of sites. Its other advantage is that most people have the Lonely Planet guide and end up eating at the same restaurants and staying at the same five hotels in every city, so I preferred the Rough Guide simply to get a tiny bit more off the beaten path.
Buying on-on-the-road: If you can’t decide whether or not to bring something or end up forgetting it, don’t fret. Its a small, globalized world now-a-days. It is pretty easy to buy almost anything almost anywhere. Sure, maybe you won’t be able to get a nice REI synthetic shirt on the streets of Bombay, but I promise you will find something that can replace it.
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